By Kim K. McCrea, BA '84 (Clark Honors College, English)

Lucas is swept up into a saga written in 1750 by an English orphan facing desperate options. Verity travels the Silk Road deep into Asia where she captures the Khan’s attention, triggering fateful consequences unfolding across generations. Coping with his grandmother’s legacy and a lifelong rivalry with his brother, Lucas faces the same timeless questions posed in the weathered book—questions of passion, chance, and the truth of the heart.

Kim K. McCrea, 2021